Gut microbiota dysbiosis and plasma lipidomic signatures in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a major autoimmune disease. Recent studies have found that changes in lipid metabolism and gut microbes are associated with the pathogenesis of SLE. However, the coordination of gut commensal bacteria and SLE lipid metabolism is not clear. Methods Gut microbiota profiling was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples, and functional prediction was conducted using PICRUSt. Plasma lipidomics was performed using LC–MS. Associations between differentially abundant microbial taxa and differential lipids were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Results We found obvious abnormalities in lipid metabolism in SLE patients. Sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism were the most significantly dysregulated pathways in these patients. There is an obvious intestinal flora imbalance in SLE patients, the Becteroides and Lachnoclostridium is the most important genus to distinguish SLE case groups from control groups. Some differential metabolites in the plasma of SLE patients were correlated with some differential bacteria in the stool. Most of the bacteria associated with lipid changes belonged to Firmicutes , Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteriaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Bacteroidetes, Gordonibacter , Romboutsia , etc. Conclusion Our findings illustrate the disruption of the gut microbiome and lipid group in SLE patients, which may facilitate the development of new SLE interventions.